ALDS Pitching Preview: Jason Hammel

Both the Yankees and Orioles will throw their Game One starter in Game Five tonight, which means a CC Sabathia-Jason Hammel rematch. Here is the pitching preview I wrote for Hammel earlier in the series, which won’t change one bit. He didn’t do anything unexpected in his Game One start other than throw a handful of sliders more than usual. Not enough to think it’s anything meaningful. No point in re-inventing the wheel, so check out the linked preview for tonight.

One thing I do have to add is that Hammel wore a brace on his right knee in Game One and will do so again tonight. He had surgery at midseason and soreness in September, which is why he missed basically the entire second half. The Yankees should test him out with a bunt early on, specifically Ichiro Suzuki. After that scorching hot September run, Ichiro has gone 4-for-20 with a sac bunt in the ALDS, hitting just three (three!) balls out of the infield. He’s not the greatest bunter in the world, but it’s worth a shot in the first inning to see how Hammel is moving.

Without ARod dragging down the lineup we might have a shot. If Granderson and Swisher do nothing today and we win I go with Raul in LF, Gardner in CF and Ichiro in RF next series. Chavy at 3rd vs the Detroit righties. The Yankees will have $60 million sitting on the bench.

awesomeo

I would bet if we win tonight they will throw the starters back in their usual spots honestly. If we squeeze out a win tonight I don’t have a good feeling going into Detroit. Our offense looks scared.

UncleArgyle

I agree, but overcoming Granderson’s slump and Swishers annual October stink job will be very difficult. Especially since Girardi is dumb enough to bat them back to back in the lineup. I’m totally baffled how you can pull ARod for not producing, but you don’t sit Swish, who literally is the worst hitter in post season history. If you’re gonna throw one high priced talent under the bus for not hitting, throw them ALL under the bus for not hitting.

Zanath

You’d literally have to bench the entire lineup minus Jeter, Tex, and maybe Martin. Nobody has been hitting, really.

awesomeo

Yep, this is going to lead to poison in the dugout. You don’t think A-rod is thinking the same thing? I would rather have arod in there right now over swish or grandy. The only thing they have over him is the fact that they aren’t easily replaceable in the field, because ibanez is a liability, and gardner is an unkown at the plate. I’d still probably replace grandy with gardner over arod with chavez though.

DT

You can say out of Cano, Grandy, Swisher and ARod. Arod might be the best of the 4 this series. (He’s putting together okay At bats with shitty results, the other guys aren’t even bothering to work the count) Yes it’s that bad.

DT

Even without Arod we still have to pray that Swisher, Grandy, Ichiro and Cano hits. So don’t get you hopes up. Arod was not the sole reason the offense looked like shit. Cano, Grandy and Swisher did a fine job of dragging themselves down without ARod’s help.

TomH

With ARod benched, that will be the ad nauseam story-line of the night on the broadcast.

adjusts batting gloves

Mike, and others, I tried asking this in the chat, but it didn’t post, for some reason. I keep wondering whether this series is close to or has already set the record for combined strikeouts in a 5 game LDS (i.e. most strikeouts by both teams). Would one of the brilliant RAB statisticians be interested in finding out the answer? Thanks.

mick taylor

please bunt on hammel with that brace on his leg

Robinson Tilapia (I believe in the Big Man)

Mike’s stuart imitation in the live chat was a great RAB moment.

Feeling very good about the big man tonight at the moment. Good part about a 5:00 PM start time is that, if disaster occurs, I’ll have the evening to get over it. Bad part is that I’m not so sure how much of the actual game I’ll get to watch. Hopefully I’ll get a decent chunk of the later innings, and that the Yanks will be winning big by then.

LET’S DO THIS.

dalelama

Thanks for believing in me!!!

jjyank (Carsten Charles Cruisin’)

I’m in the same boat. I can get the radio from 5-6, while I’m still at work. But 6-7, I’m out of luck. Too many deadspots on the metro.

bollocks

if im hammell i’m thinking to myself “the chances of me throwing a perfect game are pretty high – just throw the ball in the dirt for nine innings im a hero.”

FLYER7

The Yankees do not bunt on injured pitchers (see Schilling, Game 6, 2004 ALCS)

Yank The Frank

I still can’t get over the spot we are in. I thought last night we would romp.
I’m useless at work (more than normal) I might just go home to see what fate awaits.
If and when we win tonight I’ll do a 360.

jjyank (Carsten Charles Cruisin’)

Let’s do this! I am not ready for baseball to be over. I’m pissed that I’ll be stuck at work for the first out and commuting for the second hour of the game, though.

awesomeo

The way the postseason is going CC will just have to pitch an 11 inning complete game shutout to give us something like .01% chance at winning.